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He can now fly as a first officer on virtually any aircraft and is also qualified to instruct others.

Mr Knighton, who refuses to let his disability get in the way of his hobbies, also enjoys skiing, cycling and horse riding.

The pilot lives who with his wife Emma,
33, and their five-month-old son Zebedee in Bristol hopes his story can
inspire other people with disabilities.

Scholarship: Joe in South Africa during his course at the 43 Air School where he experienced night flying, instrument flying, and even aerobatics

He
said: 'I just refused to accept what had happened and got on with
things. I decided I would not accept there was anything I couldn't do.

'The hospital didn't like my attitude but it's the fire inside that gets you out there and doing things.

'In the early days the thought that I wouldn't walk again did cross my mind, but I dealt with it in stages.

'I had a blatant refusal to believe that my condition would prevent me from doing anything'.

While still undergoing rehabilitation, he successfully applied for Royal International Air Tattoo Flying Scholarship for the Disabled.

He was then awarded a 40-hour, six-week scholarship at 43 Air School in South Africa where he went in 1999 and experienced night flying, instrument flying, and even aerobatics.

However during his stay he hit a brick wall. While his private license was fine, the South African authorities removed his medical certificate because of his disability preventing him from flying commercial planes meaning he had to return to the UK.

'In the early days the thought that I wouldn't walk again did cross my mind, but I dealt with it in stages'.

He said: 'They just hadn't come across this situation before. They knew I could fly and passed every test they could throw at me but because they just didn't know what to do they suspended my medical certificate.

'It was disastrous because the wheels turn so slowly out there. With no medical I had no work permit and without a permit I had no money so I ended up having to come home'.

On his return to the UK in 2005, he got a sales job at Enham Direct, a company promoting choice, control and independence for disabled people, before taking a job with a specialist recruitment consultancy.

Two year later he met Emma, who had visited him to rent a room in his home when she moved to Bristol - they married two years later.

Thankfully when he returned to flying he met none of the barriers he faced in South Africa regarding his license.

However he had to sell his beloved white Porsche 911 Carrera convertible which featured in the couple's wedding to cover the costs required for his return to flying.

He quickly gained his commercial pilot's license followed by his instructor's qualification, a multi-instrument.

'I had a blatant refusal to believe that my condition would prevent me from doing anything'.

The pilot who is apparently more comfortable in the air than on the ground has also taken a night flying course and he is looking forward to his multi-crew course on a 737 simulator next month.

The next step is perhaps the biggest - finding a job in a profession that like so many others is feeling the force of the recession.

'I would really enjoy teaching aerobatics,' he said.

'When I did my scholarship with the RAF the first 20 hours is learning how to fly and then it's straight into aerobatic flying because it leads neatly into combat fighting.

'I would love to instruct but to be honest my dream job would be one that gets me off the ground every day'.